Drink mixer



A. M. LUTES DRINK MIXER June 11, 1935.

Filed Sept. 14, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet l /%M wa ATTORNEYS,

June 11, 1935. A. M. LUTES 2,004,373

DRINK MIXER Filed Sept. 14, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 f- /%M/ W ATTORNEY5.

A. M. LUTES DRINK MIXER Filed Sept. 14, 1932 I June 11, 1935.

4 She ts-Sheet 3 ATTORNEYJ.

A. M. LUTES DRINK MIXER June 11, 1935.

Filed Sept. 14, 1932 4,Sheets-She et 4 INVENTOR. dflIZurfl.L1/Ife5, BY v ATTORNEYS.

II I II IIIIIIII I:

lllll m I Patented June 11, 1935 UNI-TED 1 S T S [DRI K Mrxnn I Arthur M. Lutes, RedCreek, N. Y. i m Application September 14, 1932, Serial No. 633,143

' 13 Claims. (o1, 2595-108 This invention relates to drink mixers, that is, devices for mixing the various ingredients of beverages etc., such as are served at soda water fountains, and has for its object adrink mixer 5 I wherein the carriage for the cup support, when movable, or the stirrer support, when movable, or

both of them, when both are movable, move along'a guide with minimum friction:

It further-has for, its'lobj'ect, afparticu larly 10 simple and emcient motion transmitting and reversing means between the movable carriages when both are movable, which motion transmit-l for normally holding the movable carriage, 1 or carriages, in normal position, which latch means is released by a shifting-niovement of the cup out of its normal position when resting on the cup support, and for restoring thecup to its normal position after being shifted to release the latch.

A further object is adrink mixer of the type described, whichlis particularly simple and economical in construction, rapid in operation, and

, highly efficient in use. i 1 Other objects appear throughout the specificaion. Theinve'ntion consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructionshereinafter set forth and claimed,

' In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views. f

Figure 1 is an elevation of one embodiment'of my machine showing the normal position of the carriages, and in dotted linesthe position of the carriages when the cup is in operative relation to the stirrer. j A j Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section. Figure 3 is an enlarged view of parts shown in Figure 2, v

Figure 4 is asectionalview onr line 4 -4, Fig- 1116'2. v

Figure 5 isia sectional viewtaken on line 5-5,

Figure 2. l 1 9;

Figure 6 is a sectional view online 66, Fig- ,ure2. l w I l V.

' beingshown. r h

I of parts seen in Figures, V the shaft beingremoved.

fragmentary, sectional I Figure 7 is a fragmentary exploded, view of parts of the cup support. 1 l l Figure 8 is a perspective view of theistirrer, the contiguous part of the motor shaft, orstirrer rod,

=Figure9 is a planview Figure 10 is an b k nawar r r zFigure ll is a framnentaryview of a modified form of I drink mixer showing a different formof edge view of the stirrer, partly motion transmitting and. reversingmechanism between th'e carriages. V a y This drink mixer is of the general type disclosed in Schlicker Patent No. 1,344,565; issued June 22, l92l )\wherein both the stirrer withthe motor for operating it, and the cup support move toward'eachbther to bring the cup and stirrer 1 into coacting relation, and move away from each other after the mixing operation to permit the removal of the cup withoutinterference from the .stirreh l is This drink mixer comprises generally, a frame, and a support therefor, the frame'being provided with a carriage guideupperand lowercarriages, both of which, in the illustrated embodiment of ATE roFF cs my invention, are movable reot ilinearly along the guide, a stirrer, and actuating means, as an electric motor carried by the upper carriage and a cup sup-port carried by the lower carriage, me-

the carriages, and releasable latch means for 1 normally holding the carriages separated and which, ,when released, permit the carriages to move toward each other, one carriage, through the motion transmitting and reversing mechanism,

forming .ithe actuator for the other carriage;

- embodiment of my invention, is a standard having abase I2 for resting upon a table, shelf, and

the like, the standard being hollow and openat one side, or in thegeneral form of achanneL'as best seen in Figure 6, and is provided with a suit able'cap let its upper end. I4 designates a guide mountable in the frame through they open side thereof, this guide being in the form of a channel in cross section and being wider at its outer open side providing upright 30}; tion transmitting and reversing 'means between" for engaging the tracks l5 at spacedapart points 7 along the carriages, and other spaced apart antifriction members, as rollers 29, coacting with the side walls of the wider part of the guide M. One

' set of rollers l9, that is, those toward the top of the carriage engage the face plate, to be described,

as the overhanging weights of the motor and cup support tend to tilt the carriages in the guide, toward the face plate. i

2| designates a face plate-for covering the open side of the channel, and secured thereto by screws 22 extending through the margins thereof and through'laterally extending flanges 23 at the open side of the channel shaped guide M into suitable lugs hl and also into suitable cross pieces, or braces 24;

The motion transmitting and reversing means between the carriages e xtendslengthwise of the channel shaped guide l4 between the carriages, and the bottom of the channel. and as here shown. includes a cord, wire, or cable 25 securedat 21 and 2'5 at spaced apart points to the carriages HS and, Hand having its intermediate portion running over an idler pulley 28 located above the carriages l6, l1, and suitably supported at the upper end of the frame or channel M. This. arrangement of the motion transmitting, and reversing means works with minimum friction in connection with sliding or rectilinearly movable carriages, and owing to the fact that the motion transmitting and reversing mechanism is located for the most part in the channel shaped guide M, the construction is particularly compact and lends itself to the assembly of all the work parts in' a unit. r

30 designates the stirrer, and 3| the casing of an electric -motor supporting the stirrer, the

is a plate, or hanger 36 secured, as by screws 37,

to a bracket arm 38 extending from the lower carriage I! through a slot 39 in the face plate 2|; and the other of which is a shelf My which is deta'chably coupled to the hanger 36. The shelf isprovided with an upwardly extending back wall 4| provided with means for detachably securing it to the hanger 3t, and as here shown, the back wall is provided with a socket 42 at its upper end for receiving the upper end of the hanger, and with buttons 43 between its ends for engaging key slots 44 in the hanger, the socket engaging the upper end of the hanger, and the buttons engaging the-slots therein by an inward and downward movement of the cup support, and being removed by the reverse of these movements. The upper or wider portions of the key slots are formedwith inclined back walls or guides 45.

The cup 46 is of the usual type which is conoidal in general form, with the side walls flaring upsupportfor the shelf 49.

wardly and'outwardly, and the back wall 4| of the cup support has its upper portion inclined out of the vertical to conform to the inclination of the side walls of the cup; the lower edge of the upper portion so inclined terminates intermediate of the top and bottom of the cup forming a fulcrum at ll, for a purpose to be presently described. The lower portion 48 of the wall is not inclined out of the vertical, or not inclined to the same extent as the upper portion, and it is the apex of the two portions that meet to form the fulcrum 41, although the lower portion may be omitted, except to form a connection or Thus, when the cup is normally standing on the shelf "l0, its wall conformsto the incline of the upper portion, and is spaced apart from the lower portion 43 of the back wall.

The means for latching the carriages in their separated positions comprises two members, one ofwhich moves with the carriage i1, and the other of which is fixed relatively 'to the frame, or

guide l4, and as here illustrated,. the movable" ent betweenthe lower portion 48 of the back plate ll and the lower portion of the cup when the cup is resting squarely on its shelf 40, the nose being in position to be engaged to trip the latch when the cup is shifted, or tilted, about the pivot t! to move its bottom portion inwardly;

When the latch is'tripped, the carriage H is moved upwardly by the downward movement of the carriage it through the motion transmitting and reversing mechanism. When the cup is released, it automatically moves away from the latch to rest squarely on the shelf 4!), due to the fact that the margin of the shelf 40 is tapered upwardly, thus having a tendency to automatically center and return the cup to normal, position. The movement of the carriages toward each other are limited by suitable buffers 55.

The current is supplied to the motor through a suitable feed circuit. having a switch therein which is operated by the movement of one of the carriages i6 and IT, here shown as by the movement of the carriage l6, which carries the motor,

but it is obvious it may be operated by either carriage, or by one carriage, if only one were movable.

' 6| and 62 designate plugs or terminals of any suitable construction by means of which wires are connected to the motor. The switch mechanism includes a base or switch block 63 of insulation mounted'on the carriage IS, a pair of running contacts 64 mounted on the block, the contacts extending in the direction of movement ofthe carriages, and their lower ends lying behind shoulders 65 on the block so that they are flush with, or depressed below the shoulders.

The switch further includes a pair of brushes 65 carried by the frame 14, and coacting with the former contacts during the movement of the delayed' uiitil the carriages have'moved their full or brushes 66 rest on the insulating moans,

but whenthe latch 50 is tripped and thecarriages move toward each other," the brushes 66. engage the contacts 64, thus completing the circuit to i the motor so that it starts and rotates the stirrer When the carriages are separated by pulling down on'the cupsupport, or applying an upward force to the motor carriage, the contacts 64 wipe out of engagement with the brushes B6 and the: shoulders at the ends of the contacts lift the brushes away from the contacts so that thecircuitis broken without burning or sparking, I

The base block fifi 'is adjustable vertically on the frame l 4fft'o shift the brushes vertically and hencevary the time at which the motor starts,

while the carriages are moving toward each other. It will be understoodthat the motor starts before thestirrer enters the liquid in the cup and not after the cup is in operative relation to the stirrer. In otherxwordathe starting of the motor is not distance toward each other. This feature is'particularly desirable, as oftentimes drinks contain semi-solid matters, as-ice cream and the forcing of the stirrer into the ice cream, when the stirrer is not inmotion causes theice cream to'be pushed to one side; this often strains and distorts the agitator shaft and throws the motor out of. balance. By starting the motor before the stirrer enters the contents of the cup, the stirrer plows or bores its way through the solid matter; thus tearing it apart and speeding up the process of mixing. i 1

Owing to the switch construction, thebrushes 66 come into and out of engagement with the terminals 64 witha wiping'ratherthan'a contactaction, and hence, to adjust the timethat the @irciut is vclosed by the brushes and the contacts,

it is merelynecessary to shift'either'the brushes or the contacts, preferably the brushes without shifting both the brushes and thecontacts, that is, without relocating the entire switch. Preferably, the base block 66 isheld in position by one or more screws, which extend through slots" in the base block and thread into the bottom of the channel-shaped frame M, the slots permitting shifting of the base block 66 upon loosening of the screws. v

In the operation thus far described, the cup with the contents to be mixed, is placed'up on the cup rest 49. This can be easily donejas the stirrer and cupsupport are separated faren'ough to perrnit this operation without the stirrer interfering with the top of the cup. The operator then tilts, or upsets the cup by pushing the bottom portion inwardly, the cup tilting inwardly about the; r1115 crum 41 and tripping the latch 50 sothatthe upper carriage travels downwardly owing to the weightof the motor and the lower carriageup Wardly bringing the cup up around thefstirrer, and the stirrer into the "cup. During this move-; ment, the circuit is closed to the electric motor, and the stirrer operated. When the mixing is completed, the operator either pulls down upon the cup support 40 until the latch 50 engages the keeper 51, or pushes upwardly on themot'or 3l when the cup with the mixed contents canbe removed.

Owing to the fact that rectilinearly movable;

or sliding, carriages aroused, to the channel Y shaped guide and the motion transmitting and reversing me'ans,vthe operation is particularlyeasy'and rapid, as compared with thelever movement of the Schlicker patent, andjalso owingto the construction, all the working parts can be of (undulations or waves.

,tion of rotation of the agitator.

assembled as a unit in 'theframe or channel l4 and applied toa ll.

As'thestirrer 30' is rotatingwhen it enters the contents of the cup, and as. it is undesirable to use acover, the stirrer-is so formed as toenter the contents "and agitate the contents without suitable support, as the standard erally,1a wheel. havinga rimll, a hub 12, and

vanes ?3.connecting the rim and thehub, the rim being formed throughout its extent with undulations"; l5, oneiset, as the lower set being 1 I out of the normal plane of the rim, or out ofthe disk of the rim, the undulations 15 alternating with the undulations M and extending down wardly below said plane so that the rim isa series 7 The vanes 13 are preferably straight, or radial, relatively to the hub,

and are joined to the upward undulations ofthe rim; These vanes are angular in cross section, andare preferably in the form of a right angle trianglein cross section with the hypotenuse side :of the triangle presented downwardly on the leading edge of the vane with respect'to thedirec- =The hublZ is suitably; mounted: on the lower, end of the shaft- 3210f the electric motor of the mixing machine.

Inv operation, the cupwith the contents" to be mixed is brought into juxtaposition to the agitator with the agitator submerged in the contents of the cup.- During the rotation of the agitator,

the undulated rim tends toforce the contents downward without a violent outward,"or centrifugalaction, and. also the vanes force a current downwardly with a greater effect than the undulated rim with suflicient force to create a current to the bottom of the cup where the contents're} turn upwardly around the central currents to the top and areagain drawn downwardly by the lf'he .upward currentis due partly to j agitator. the momentum f of the I fluid and partly to the draw-of the wheelj an agitator of this construction can? rotate very rapidly with minimum power, even when the contents of thecup, are comparatively thick,

without aviolent centrifugal actiontending to.

throw thecontents' over the top of the cup, but also thoroughly and. quickly'mixesthe drink.

Alsofthe'stirrer, while rotating, bores through V the contents of the cup when the cup and. stirrer are being brought together, without throwing or spattering the eontentsso that a cover for the cupis unnecessary.

. .In Figure 11, I have shownPa modification of the motion transmitting andreversing means between the carriages for the motor and for thecup supportwherein' the carriages" are shown as pistons8i! and 3t movable in cylinders 82, 83 respecs,

t ively, which are :connected by a by-pass '84 so that. the'motionof each piston is transmitted and reversed through a hydraulic fiuid filling the bypass. The by-pass 84 iscomparativelylarge and preferably of asllargjediameteras the cylinders, inorder. to effect a quickdisplac'ement of the fluid from one cylinder to the other duringthe movement of. the carriages either toward each other or. away fromeach other. Also the hydraulic means dispenses with the use of bumpers, as the hydraulic means has a dashpot action.

What I claim is: h 1. A drink mixer comprising a frame'having guide, upper and lower carriages movable along the guide, a stirrer and means for actuatingit supported by the upper carriage, a cup support carried by the lower carriage, and motion transmitting and reversing means between the carriages comprising a pulley carried by the frame abovethe upper carriage and a cord fixed at spaced apart points to the carriages respectively and having the portion between the fixed points passing over the pulley.

2. A drink mixer comprising a frame provided with a guide, upper and lower carriages movable along the guide, a stirrer and means for actuating it supported by the upper carriage, a cup support carried by the lower carriage, and motion transmitting and reversing means between the carriages including a pulley carried by the frame above the upper carriage and a cord fixed at its opposite ends to the carriages respectively and having its intermediate portion passing over the pulley.

3. A drink mixer comprising a frame having a channel shaped upright guide, a stirrer, and

means for actuating it,,a carriage therefor, a cup support, a carriage therefor, one-of said car- 'iages having a portion movable in the guide, saidguide being wider at the open side of the channel than atthe bottom, and formed with lengthwise tracks at the junction of the narrow and Wider portion, said tracks facing toward the open side of the channel, a face plate closing the open side of the channel, and the movable carriage having antifriction means engaging the tracks, the face piate and the side walls of the wider portion of the channel and being spaced apart from the bottom of the channel.

4. A drink mixer comprising a, frame having a channel shaped upright guide, a stirrer, a support for, and means for actuating, the stirrer, a carriage therefor, a cup support, and a carriage therefor, one of said carriages having a portion movable in the guide, said guide being wider at the open side of the channel than at the bottom, and formed with lengthwise tracks at the junc tion of the narrow and wider portion, said tracks facing toward the open side of the channel, and the movable carriage having means engaging the tracks and the side walls of the wider portion of the channel and being spaced apart from the bottom of the channel, a face plate covering the open side'of the channel and formed with a slot, the movablecarriage having a bracket portion extending through the slot and connected to the corresponding support.

5. A drink mixer comprising a frame having an upright guide in the form of a channel in cross section, spaced apart carriages movable in upper and lower portions of the guide and having portions spaced apart from the bottom of the guide, a stirrer, and means for actuating it carried by the upper carriage, a cup support carried by the lower carriage, and motion transmitting and reversing means between the carriages comprising a cord secured at spaced apart points to the carriages and extending into the space between the carriages and the bottom of the channel, and an idler carried by the frame above the upper carriage over which. pulley th intermediate part of the cord runs.

6. A drink mixer comprising aframe having an upright guide in the form of a channel in cross section with the portion toward the open side of the channel wider than the bottom portion providing outwardly facing tracks between the bottom' and open side of the channel, upper and lower carriages movable in the channel and having anti-friction means coacting with the outwardly facing tracks and the side walls of the wider portion of the channel, the carriages being spaced from the bottom of the channel, a stirrer, and means for actuating it carried by the upper carriage, a cup support carried by, the lower carriage, and motion transmitting and reversing means between the carriages and extending downwardly through the narrower portion of the channel, and means for controlling the movement of the carriages. l

7. A drink mixer comprising a frame having an upright guide in the form of a channel in cross section with the portion toward the open side of the channel wider than the bottom portion providing outwardly facing tracks between the bottom and open side of the channel, upper and lower carriages movable in the channel and having anti-friction means coacting with the outwardly facing tracks and the side walls of the wider portion of the channel, the carriages being spaced'from the bottom of the channel, a stirrer, and means, for actuating it carried by the upper carriage, acup support carried by the-lower carriage, and motion transmitting and-reversing means between the carriages and extending downwardly through the narrower portion of the channel, said motion transmitting and reversing means including a cord secured at spaced apart points to the carriages, and an idler fixed from movement with the carriages and arranged above the upper carriage over which the intermediate part of the cord runs. I

8. A drink mixer comprising a frame having a channel shaped upright guide, a stirrer, and means for actuating it, a carriage therefor, a cup support, and a carriage therefor, one of said carriages having a portion movable in the-guide, said guide being wider at the open side of the channel than at the bottom and formed with lengthwise tracks at the junction of the narrow and wider portion, said tracks leadingoutwardly, and the movable carriage having means engaging the outwardly facing tracks and a face plate and the side walls of the wider portion of the channel and being spaced apart from the bottom of the channel, and said face plate for the open side of the channel and holding the carriage in the channel. 1

9. A drink mixer comprising a frame having an upright guide in the form of a channel in cross section with the portion toward the open side of V the channel wider than the bottom portion pro viding outwardly facing tracks between the bottom'and open side of the channel, upper and lower carriages movable in the channel and having anti-friction means coacting with the-outwardly facing tracks and a face plate and the side walls o-f'the wider portion of the channel, the carriages being spaced from the bottom of the channel, a stirrer, and means for actuating it carried by the upper carriage, a cup support carried by the lower carriage, motion transmitting and reversing means between the carriages and ex- 1 7 2,004,373 tending through the slots and connected respectively to the actuating means for the stirrer and to the cup support, r V

10. A drink mixer comprising a frame pro-l ing movement of the cup on thesupport about a horizontal axis between its upper and lower ends when the cup is on the support to trip the movable member of the latch, and means on the cup support for causing the cup to tiltand trip the latch when lateral force is applied to the cup toward the latch. r

11. A drink mixer comprising a frame provided with an'upright guide, a stirrer, and means for actuating it, a cup support, for the stirrer and its actuating means and for the cup support, one of the carriages being movable alongthe guide toward and from the other carriage, latch means including a member fixed to the frame, and a member carried by the movable carriage and arranged tocoact when the movable carriage is separated to its maximum extent from the other carriage, the cup supportbeing formed with a fulcrum for engaging the side of the cup when the cup is resting squarely on the support, and themcvable latch member being normally arranged away from the cup when the same is resting squarely on the support, and to be engaged by the cupwhen the cup is tilted relatively to the support about said fulcrum.

carriages 12. A drink mixer comprising a frame provided with an upright guide,a stirrer, and means for actuating it, a cup support, carriages for-the stirrer and its actuating means and for the cup support, one of the carriages being movable along the guide toward and from the other carriage, latch means including a member fixed to the frame, and a member carried by the movable carriage and arranged to coact when the movable,

carriage is separated to its maximum extent from the other carriage, the cup support being formed with a bottom wall and an upright wall having its upper portion inclined out of the vertical, to conform to the flare of the side wall of the cup, a

greater distance than the lower portion of said wall, thereby" providing a fulcrum for the cup, the movable latch member being arranged in the rear of a line extension of the inclined upper portion of saidwall, and arranged to be engaged by the cup when tilted aboutsaid fulcrum. 'l3. A drink mixer comprising a frame having an upright guide, a stirrer and means for actuating it, acup support, carriagesforthe stirrer and its actuating means and for the cup support, one of the carriages being movable along the guide toward andzfro'm the other, latch means for normally holding the movable carriage from movement including a member fixed to the frame, and a member carried by themovable carriage and arranged to coact when the movable carriage is separated to its' maximum extent from the other carriage, the movable member being arranged to trip by a lateral upsetting movement of the cup on the 'support and means for causing said upsetting movement when a lateral force is applied to the cup 'and for restoring the cup to its normal position when, the force is discontinued.

ARTHUR M. LUTES. 

